The Ghost Files 4: Part 1 Page 5

  Sure. Let’s focus on the fact that I might be exhibiting demonic tendencies instead of talking about angels being bad guys. Neither option appeals to me.

  “Can you give us a few minutes alone?” Zeke puts his plate in the sink. I pay little heed to Montgomery and Mrs. Banks when they both leave the room. The only thing I see is the growing anger on my father’s face.

  “I don’t think Silas saved Daniel for free.” Zeke leans against the sink, his arms crossed. “I think he got exactly what he wanted.”

  “Which is?”

  “There is something you must know about your family.” Anger wars with concern in his expression. “Not the Cranes. Even we draw the line at some things.”

  “But not my mother’s family?” I clench my hands, dread curling in the pit of my stomach. I know what he’s going to say.

  “I don’t know if it’s true or not.” He walks back to the table and sits in the empty seat next to me. Taking my hand, he looks me straight in the eyes. “It’s something that has been whispered about in our circles for over a century, and it may just be that—rumors.”

  “Just spit it out, Zeke.” I can’t take all this beating around the bush. Just tell me already.

  “It’s rumored that they’ve bred with demons.”

  My stomach bottoms out. Vertigo. Everything starts to spin out of control as the world around me crashes into nothingness. Empty. Hollow. I am a demon.

  “Mattie…if you were really a demon, you couldn’t enter this house.”

  “What if my human half cancels that out?” I whisper. “Have you ever accounted for that in any of your wards?”

  “Yes.”

  The finality in his voice brings my eyes up to his face, hope springing to life.

  “Our family deals in demons, Emma Rose. We don’t hide that fact, and we prepare for any and all eventualities, including the rumors of witches and other supernaturals breeding with demons. The wards protecting us take that into account.”

  “Then what did you mean when you said Silas got what he wanted?”

  “Just because you aren’t a demon, doesn’t mean you can’t have inherited some traits. Perhaps he’s interested in you because he knows of a specific trait your mother’s family possesses. Maybe he’s been trying to get you to find that part of yourself and open up to it. Perhaps Daniel put you in the right frame of mind to access whatever that is.”

  “But it still means…”

  “No, it doesn’t make you a demon.” He leans closer, his eyes bright. “And even if you were half demon, you’re still my daughter, and I love you. That will never change, Emma Rose. I swear it.”

  And oddly, I believed him. Despite everything crashing around me, that simple truth bleeding from his eyes comfort me. But what about everyone else? Dan…Eli.

  Before I can say anything, Dan bursts into the room, his eyes bright, almost fevered.

  “What is it?” What new shoe is about to drop?

  “Jake’s not dead.”

  Chapter Six

  “I need to stop at Mary’s.”

  “You’ve never called Mary’s home.” Dan shifts into the right lane so he can take the exit ahead that goes to the Cross’ neighborhood. He’d borrowed one of Zeke’s cars since his truck was still in the parking lot of his apartment complex.

  “I’ve never called anywhere home.” Mary and her mom are great, best foster home ever, and they accept me for who I am, ghost abilities and all. But they’re not home, not really. I don’t belong to them. For me, home is a sense of belonging to the people there. Maybe I’m wrong in that respect, but it’s an old ingrained idea from being in foster care where I got shipped from home to home. It’s something I want to change, though. Since meeting Dan, he’s been teaching me there are different types of families. He’s family to me. And I guess maybe I do belong to him in that sense. I shake my head. My thoughts are so scattered.

  It’s the elephant in the back seat with us, I guess. Neither one of us wants to talk about it, but my mind keeps going there.

  Jake.

  Part of me is so happy, but part of me is a little shell-shocked. Dan’s dad called to tell him he’d spoken to Mrs. Owens, and she’s hopeful I will come by the hospital. I don’t want to go.

  I know what happened wasn’t Jake’s fault, and I don’t blame him at all. His brother was a crazy psycho. Just the thought of being around him, though, makes me think about Mason and Paul and everything they did to us. Then to face their mom? I can’t. I just can’t.

  But I have to.

  Dan and Zeke both agreed I didn’t have to. But how can I not? His mom is one of the nicest people I know. She’d taken me in and treated me so kindly while Jake and I were together. How can I not repay that kindness?

  “About your dad…”

  I look over to see Dan chewing on his bottom lip, something he does when he’s nervous.

  “Yeah, what about Zeke?”

  “He’s not like I thought he’d be.” He turns the heat up, shivering. Odd. I’m the one who’s usually cold in the blazing Carolina heat. It has to be over ninety outside already, but to me it feels lukewarm. Maybe he’s still suffering some of the side effects of shock. Keeping a shock victim warm is important.

  “Me either. After everything everyone said about him, I was expecting some creepy, cold monster of a man, but he’s not. At least not with me. And he has a pretty cool accent.”

  “I think maybe you can call his place home.”

  My head snaps back around to look at him. Did he just say what I think he said? I mean, Dan’s the first person to jump up and shout caution in big red warning letters when it comes to Zeke, but now he wants me to call Zeke’s home? What in the world happened last night while I was out?

  Not that Zeke would object. He wants me to stay with him. Truthfully, I think he wants to whisk me off to New Orleans. Part of me wants to go, to get away from every bad thing that’s ever happened to me. It would be a truly new beginning for me with people who wanted me.

  Then I think about Dan. I almost lost him. The fear is fresh enough to make my lungs close up and my heart shift into overdrive remembering those dark hours. He matters to me. More than anyone, more than Mary, more than Zeke, even more than Eli. He’s Officer Dan.

  My life would be so much easier if I could go back to the old Mattie, the girl who didn’t have people to worry or care about. The girl before Dan Richards.

  “He wants me to come to New Orleans.”

  “You aren’t going.” The steel in his voice shocks me. “Neither of us know him well enough to trust him.”

  “Dan, you just said I could call his place home.”

  “That’s here in Charlotte where I can watch him.” Anger laces every word he bites out.

  “What if I want to go?” My voice is soft and hesitant. “Would you come with me?”

  He stares at me, his eyes unreadable.

  “Watch the road, Officer Dan.”

  His eyes snap back to the highway, but he doesn’t say a word. Instead, he turns in to my neighborhood. I look out the window, trying to figure out how to laugh off that last question. I shouldn’t have asked it. I should have kept my big mouth shut. I’d blurted it out without thinking. Of course he can’t go with me. I mean, he’s got to stay here for his mom’s trial. He just found the Malones. They moved here to Charlotte so they could get to know him. I can’t ask him to walk away from all that.

  The neighborhood’s quiet today, but they have some big community event going on at one of the parks downtown. Lots are probably down there and the rest are most likely in church. It’s Sunday morning and early yet.

  As we pull into Mary’s drive, I see Kayla playing in her yard next door. She’s Mr. Burnett’s seven-year-old granddaughter. She and her mom moved in with him last month. Bad divorce or something. She’s a cute kid, though. Blonde pigtails bounce as she hops from one place to another, and big old sky blue eyes twinkle with laughter. I wave to her when I get out and she grins, her teddy bea
r dragging the ground by one hand as she waves back. She has two teeth missing, making her cute factor skyrocket. My eyes drop to her old, scrappy bear. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her without that old thing. Kids.

  Mary comes barreling out the house, almost knocking me over when she wraps me in a bear hug. I think we both might have fallen if Dan hadn’t steadied me. I laugh at her obvious delight. She still reminds me of a big ball of sunshine with all that blonde hair.

  “Don’t you dare laugh!” She hits me in the arm. “There is nothing to laugh about. Do you know how scared I was? Then you didn’t come home and you weren’t answering any of my texts or messages. I was freaking out all night, worried about you. Mattie, you almost died last night. There is nothing to laugh about.”

  My laughter dies as her tears sober me up. I guess I’ve gotten so used to “almost dying” over the last year, it feels normal to me. I shouldn’t have laughed. Mary doesn’t have my crazy life. None of this is normal to her.

  “I’m sorry.” I pull her back into a hug. “I was laughing because you are always so happy to see me. It just made me smile, that’s all. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

  “Fine, apology accepted. Just don’t do that again, Mattie. When I call you after a near death experience, pick up the phone.”

  “I promise.”

  She glares at me for another hot minute before deciding to forgive me. “Mom’s in the kitchen baking blueberry muffins. She knows you love them. Come on.”

  We follow her into the house, and after much the same reaction from her mom, Mrs. Cross sits us all down at the kitchen table with fresh muffins. My stomach growls merrily as the smell hits my nose. I can eat even when I’m full. I mean, who am I to let all that baking go to waste?

  “Your social worker called.” Mrs. Cross snaps the Tupperware container shut and puts the rest of the muffins on the counter. “She couldn’t reach you either last night or this morning.”

  Oops. I’m so gonna hear it from Nancy when she finally catches up with me. She’s the absolute best social worker ever, even if she does have a crush on Zeke.

  “I’ll call her on the way to the hospital.” The sweet smell of fresh muffins tickles my nose as I lean down and inhale.

  “Hospital?” Alarm spreads on Mrs. Cross’s face. “Why are you going to the hospital?”

  “To see Jake.”

  “Jake?” Mary frowns at me, clearly unaware of the latest development.

  Dan explains the situation while I eat my muffin. “We are also going to swing by the Malones’ place too. I promised we’d come over later this afternoon. I think Heather is going to thump us all if she can’t meet Mattie soon.”

  “Wait…my grandparents are arriving.” I swallow the last bite. “Maybe we should put off seeing the Malones until tomorrow.”

  “I forgot about that.” Dan leans back, thinking. “Maybe we can go see them before the hospital, and that way we have a great excuse for not staying long?”

  “Is this about me, or you not having to spend time over there?” I grill him with my best Officer Dan patented stare.

  He looks uncomfortable, but merely stares back, his Officer Dan stare much, much better than mine. Dang it. How does he do it so well?

  “How are you supposed to get to know them if you don’t spend time with them?” I push my plate toward Mary, who’s getting up to put her own plate in the sink. She grabs it without question.

  Still nothing from him.

  “They all sat there by your bedside while you were in the hospital. I think that earns them some points in the family department, especially Ava. She refused to leave the hospital till you woke up.”

  His eye twitches at the mention of his baby sister.

  “They moved here, Dan, no questions asked, because you were here. They’re trying. So hard.”

  “I know that.” The words burst out of him. “I just…my mom…how can I face them all after what she did? I mean, being forced to be around Eli and Caleb when they’re here is one thing, but going over there and just spending time with them for the sake of it? I don’t know if I can do that.”

  “You can.” I grab his hand and the heat seeps into me. “You can because it’s the right thing to do for everyone. They’re your family, Dan. Don’t turn your back on that. Family is the most important thing in the world. Even families that come about in an unorthodox manner.”

  “When did you get to be Dr. Phil?” His smile is barely there, but it’s there.

  “When you taught me what the true meaning of family is.” I lean over the table and kiss his cheek. His eyes glow with warmth when I finally look into them, my face only an inch from his. Something passes between us, some undefinable emotion that cements us together for eternity. “You can do this because I’ll be there. We’ll get through it together.”

  “Awww,” Mary coos at us. “Hallmark moment!”

  Dan laughs and the moment passes. I sit back in my chair, and an uneasy feeling crawls over my skin that has nothing to do with Dan. It’s strange. I stand and walk into the front room, looking over everything, but nothing is out of place. Just this weird feeling.

  “Mattie, you okay?” Mary asks, coming in behind me.

  “Yeah, but I don’t know…”

  “What?” Dan is right behind her.

  A loud banging on the front door makes me jump. I swing my gaze to it as Mrs. Cross answers the door. Dana, Kayla’s mother, is standing there terrified and half-crazed.

  My bad feeling turns to true fear at the words she utters before bursting into tears.

  “Kayla’s gone. I can’t find her anywhere!”

  Chapter Seven

  Dan

  The panic-stricken mother falls to the floor, tears streaming as hysterical sobs overtake her. I know her, not by name, but I’ve seen her next door a few times when I’d come over here. The little girl who’d been playing earlier is her daughter. The most likely story is the little girl is at a friend’s house or just walked a little too far out of her mother’s shouting range. But with so many children gone missing over the last few weeks, I’m not about to take any chances.

  “Dan, do something.” Mary’s eyes are wide, panicked, but Mattie looks almost resigned. She’s thinking along the same lines I am.

  “Ma’am.” I approach her slowly, not wanting to upset her more than she already is. “I’m Officer Dan Richards. Why don’t we go into the kitchen, get you some water, and then you tell me what happened?”

  She hiccups, but lets Mrs. Cross help her off the floor and into the kitchen. I turn to Mary and Mattie. “Go look outside. Knock on every door and check for anything out of the ordinary. Check three blocks in each direction, then hightail it back here with your report.” Neither says a word as they run out the door. One task down.

  I pull out my phone and call the station. I give them my name and badge number and ask for assistance at the address in handling a missing child case, possible abduction. Once I’ve done all that, I go back into the kitchen and sit across from the distraught mother, who keeps trying to get up and go out and search for her child.

  “I have Mattie and Mary out looking for her now.” I keep my voice calm and steady as I pull up the recorder app on my phone and press record. “I know you’re scared, but I have people out looking for your little girl. I have more officers on the way to help search. The best thing you can do right now is help me understand what happened. Can you do that for me?”

  “I…I…” She closes her cobalt blue eyes, tears making wet tracks down her makeup sodden cheeks. “I’ll try.”

  “Okay.” I give her a reassuring smile. “What’s your name?”

  “Amber.” She takes a deep, steadying breath. “Amber Rawlins.”

  I grab a paper towel, thankful we’d left them on the table earlier, and the pen Mrs. Cross hands me and start jotting down notes. “What’s your little girl’s name, Mrs. Rawlins?”

  “Kayla. She’s only six. I should be out there…”

  “And you
will be. I just need some information first. What was Kayla wearing?”

  “Shorts and her Disney princess shirt.” She picks up the glass of water, some of it sloshing over the rim as her hand shakes. “She’s been grumpy since she woke up, and my head was pounding, and I told her to go outside for a while…” A sob breaks from her and the glass falls, breaking when it hits the tile floor.

  “What color were her shorts?” I pull her out of her blame and back to what’s important. Blaming herself for having a headache isn’t going to help anyone.

  “White…she always wears them with her princess shirt.”

  Mrs. Cross starts to clean up the mess on the floor, and Amber notices all the broken glass. “I’m so sorry!” She tries to get down and help, but I reel her back to the description of her daughter.

  “What about her princess shirt? What color was it?”

  “Yellow.” The words tumble out absently as she stares at the front door. She has a clear line of sight from where we are sitting. “Belle. She loves Beauty and the Beast. Why did I get so frustrated and send her out to play?” Her tears start up again. “We have to find her.”

  “Does Kayla have any scars or birthmarks?” I ask instead of telling her we’ll find the girl. I refuse to make a promise I can’t keep. Never promise a parent they’ll find their missing child. It’s one of the first lessons I’d learned from my partner.

  “What…no…yes. She wrecked her bike last summer. Split her knee wide open. It left a jagged scar.”

  “Which knee?” I can hear police sirens in the distance. Backup. I keep the relief off my face. She needs to see only calm reassurance.

  “I don’t remember.” She clasps her hands together to try and still their trembling. “I should remember that. What kind of mother doesn’t remember that?”

  “A scared one.” Mrs. Cross wraps an arm around the woman’s shoulder. “You’re a good mother, Amber. You’re just scared and in shock right now. Just try to stay calm and let the police do their job.”